WordPress AI Assistant: Site Editor Guide
WordPress AI Assistant brings AI-powered content writing, image generation, and layout editing to the block editor. Setup, pricing tiers, and theme compatibility.
Supported Languages
Minimum Plan
Image Generator
Theme Requirement
Key Takeaways
WordPress powers roughly 43% of the web, and its February 2026 integration of a native AI Assistant into the site editor marks one of the most significant feature additions in the platform's history. Rather than requiring users to install third-party plugins or configure external API keys, the AI Assistant ships directly inside the block editor for qualifying plans, covering content generation, image creation, tone adjustment, and layout suggestions in a single interface.
This guide walks through every aspect of the WordPress AI Assistant: what it does, which plans include it, how to configure it, which themes support it, how it compares to plugin alternatives, and where its current limitations may affect your content workflow. Whether you are evaluating the feature for a client site or deciding whether to migrate from a plugin-based AI setup, the sections below provide the technical detail needed for an informed decision.
What Is WordPress AI Assistant
The WordPress AI Assistant is a native feature integrated directly into the WordPress.com site editor as of February 17, 2026. It provides AI-powered content writing, image generation through DALL-E, layout editing suggestions, and block-level AI notes without requiring any plugin installation. The assistant operates as a contextual sidebar panel within the editor, understanding the surrounding content to generate relevant suggestions.
- Full-length content generation from topic prompts or outlines
- Paragraph-level rewriting with tone control (formal, casual, professional)
- DALL-E image generation with style selection and prompt refinement
- Block-level AI notes for collaborative content planning
- 12-language support for multilingual content workflows
Unlike third-party solutions that operate as separate interfaces or require switching between tools, the WordPress AI Assistant is embedded at the block level. Highlight a paragraph and the AI can rewrite it. Open an image block and the AI can generate a visual. The integration removes the friction of copying content between WordPress and external AI tools, which has been one of the primary pain points for content teams managing WordPress-based sites.
Key Features and Capabilities
The feature set covers four primary areas: content writing, image generation, layout assistance, and collaborative annotations. Each operates within the block editor interface and shares context about the page being edited.
- Generate full posts from topic descriptions
- Rewrite selected paragraphs with tone adjustment
- Auto-suggest headings and subheadings
- Summarize long-form content into key points
- Text-to-image via integrated DALL-E engine
- Style presets: photorealistic, illustration, abstract
- Auto-save to media library at optimized resolution
- Iterative prompt refinement without regenerating
- Suggest block arrangements based on content type
- Recommend column layouts for multi-section pages
- Pattern library integration with AI-driven selection
- Responsive preview with AI optimization hints
- 12 languages including English, Spanish, German, French
- Tone adjustment persists across language switches
- Translation between supported languages
- Language-specific grammar and style corrections
The tone adjustment feature deserves particular attention. Users can set a global tone preference (formal, casual, or professional) that applies to all AI-generated content, or override it on a per-paragraph basis. This is especially useful for sites that maintain a consistent brand voice across multiple contributors, as the AI enforces the selected tone regardless of who is prompting it.
Pricing Tiers and Plan Requirements
The AI Assistant is not available on all WordPress.com plans. Access is restricted to the upper tiers, which reflects both the computational cost of AI inference and WordPress.com's strategy of using AI as a premium differentiator.
| Plan | Monthly Price | AI Writing | AI Images | Layout AI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Not included | Not included | Not included |
| Personal | $9/mo | Not included | Not included | Not included |
| Business | $33/mo | Full access | Full access | Full access |
| Commerce | $59/mo | Full access | Full access | Full + eCommerce AI |
For self-hosted WordPress.org installations, the native AI Assistant is not available. However, Automattic offers similar functionality through the Jetpack AI plugin, which uses the same underlying infrastructure and can be added to any self-hosted site with a Jetpack subscription. The pricing for Jetpack AI starts at $10/month on top of existing Jetpack plans, making it a viable alternative for users who prefer the self-hosted model.
Setup and Configuration Walkthrough
Configuring the AI Assistant requires minimal technical effort. On qualifying plans with a block theme active, the feature is enabled by default. The configuration steps primarily involve setting preferences for tone, language, and usage limits.
- 1Verify your plan tierNavigate to My Site → Plans and confirm you are on the Business or Commerce plan. Upgrade if necessary.
- 2Confirm block theme activationGo to Appearance → Themes and ensure a block theme is active. Twenty Twenty-Five is the default block theme.
- 3Open the site editorNavigate to Appearance → Editor. The AI Assistant icon appears in the top toolbar alongside existing editing controls.
- 4Set default preferencesClick the AI Assistant icon → Settings. Configure default language, tone preference, and image generation style.
- 5Configure user permissionsFor multi-author sites, set per-role AI access under Settings → Users → AI Permissions. Editors and Administrators have access by default.
Usage tracking is available through the AI Assistant settings panel, showing the number of content generations and image creations used during the current billing period. WordPress.com does not currently impose hard caps on AI usage for Business and Commerce plans, though the terms of service reserve the right to implement fair-use limits for high-volume automated usage.
Block Theme Compatibility
The block theme requirement is the most common friction point for existing WordPress users. The AI Assistant relies on the site editor's block infrastructure to inject AI capabilities at the content level, which means classic themes (PHP-template-based themes using the Customizer) are not compatible.
- PHP template files (header.php, footer.php, single.php)
- Customizer-based site configuration
- Widget areas for sidebar and footer
- Examples: Astra, GeneratePress, OceanWP (classic versions)
- HTML template files with block markup
- Full site editor for all template parts
- theme.json for global styles and settings
- Examples: Twenty Twenty-Five, Flavor, Flavor Developer
If your site currently runs a classic theme, migration to a block theme is a prerequisite for AI Assistant access. The migration process typically involves recreating header, footer, and sidebar configurations in the site editor format. For complex sites with custom PHP templates, this can represent a significant investment of development time. Organizations evaluating whether the AI features justify that migration cost should weigh the productivity gains against their current content volume and workflow complexity. For teams exploring alternative CMS architectures, our headless CMS comparison guide covers Sanity, Contentful, and Payload as alternatives worth considering.
WordPress AI vs Third-Party Plugins
The native AI Assistant enters a market already populated by established WordPress AI plugins. Understanding where it outperforms and where it falls short compared to these alternatives helps inform whether the built-in option is sufficient or if a plugin-based approach remains more practical for specific use cases.
| Feature | WordPress AI | Yoast AI | RankMath AI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Content generation | Full drafts + rewrites | SEO-focused suggestions | Keyword-driven drafts |
| Image generation | DALL-E integrated | Not available | Not available |
| Keyword research | Not available | Deep integration | Deep integration |
| Schema markup | Not available | Auto-generated | Auto-generated |
| Tone control | 3 presets + custom | Limited | Limited |
| Multilingual | 12 languages | 5 languages | 8 languages |
| Plugin required | No | Yes | Yes |
The most practical approach for many sites is a combination: use the native AI Assistant for content drafting and image generation, then refine with an SEO plugin for keyword optimization and schema markup. This layered workflow leverages each tool's strengths. The native AI is stronger at creative content generation, while SEO plugins bring the search intelligence layer that the built-in tool currently lacks. Models like Claude Opus 4.6, GPT-5.2, and Gemini 3.1 Pro power many of these AI capabilities across the ecosystem, and WordPress's choice to integrate directly rather than expose model options suggests a preference for simplicity over configurability.
Content Creation Workflows
Understanding how the AI Assistant fits into practical content workflows helps maximize its value. The following workflows represent common patterns for different content types and team structures.
Blog Post Production Workflow
For a solo content creator or small team producing 2-4 blog posts per week, the AI Assistant can reduce initial drafting time by approximately 40-60% based on early user reports. The workflow follows a structured sequence that maintains quality while accelerating output.
- Topic brief. Enter the target keyword and article objective into the AI Assistant sidebar. Request a structured outline with H2 and H3 headings, estimated word count, and suggested key points per section.
- Section drafting. Work through each section by selecting the heading block and requesting content generation for that specific section. The AI uses the full article outline as context, maintaining thematic consistency.
- Tone alignment. Apply your brand tone preset (formal, casual, or professional) to the generated content. Review each section for voice consistency and adjust individual paragraphs where the AI drifted from your preferred style.
- Image generation. For each section that needs a visual, use the image block AI option to describe the desired image. Select from generated options and adjust alt text using the AI-suggested descriptions.
- SEO optimization. Pass the drafted content through your SEO plugin (Yoast or RankMath) for keyword density, meta description, and schema markup. The native AI does not handle this step.
- Human review. Every AI-generated piece requires editorial review for factual accuracy, brand alignment, and strategic messaging. The AI produces drafts, not final copy.
Product Page Workflow (Commerce Plans)
Commerce plan users gain access to eCommerce-specific AI prompts that generate product descriptions, feature lists, and promotional copy optimized for conversion. The workflow integrates with WooCommerce product blocks.
- Generate product descriptions from feature lists or competitor examples
- Create A/B variations of product headlines and CTAs for testing
- Generate product images for items not yet photographed
- Write category page introductions based on product catalog data
Limitations and Future Roadmap
While the AI Assistant represents a meaningful step forward for WordPress, it ships with clear limitations that teams should factor into adoption decisions. Understanding these constraints prevents overreliance on the tool and helps set appropriate expectations for stakeholders.
Current Limitations
- No keyword research or SERP analysis capabilities
- No schema markup generation or structured data support
- Requires internet connectivity for all operations
- Classic theme users excluded entirely
- No public API for developer extensions
- Self-hosted WordPress.org sites require Jetpack separately
- No model selection or AI provider customization
- Image generation limited to DALL-E styles only
Expected Roadmap Items
Based on WordPress.com's public communications and the broader CMS market trajectory, several enhancements are likely to arrive in subsequent updates throughout 2026:
- SEO integration. Native keyword suggestions and meta description generation are the most requested features in the WordPress.com forums, and Automattic has acknowledged the gap.
- Classic theme support. While full parity is unlikely, a lightweight AI panel accessible through the classic editor is being discussed in Gutenberg development channels.
- Developer API. An extensibility layer that allows plugin and theme developers to hook into AI capabilities would significantly expand the ecosystem. Early proposals suggest a REST endpoint approach.
- Additional image models. Expanding beyond DALL-E to include options like Stable Diffusion or Midjourney integration would give users more stylistic flexibility for visual content.
- Personal plan access. Expanding AI availability to lower-tier plans, potentially with usage caps, would broaden adoption significantly given the size of the Personal plan user base.
The trajectory of AI in CMS platforms is clear: every major CMS is building native AI features. WordPress's advantage is its market share, which means the AI Assistant will immediately be available to the largest CMS user base in the world once it expands beyond premium tiers. For development teams evaluating AI-native tooling, our guide to AI-powered development tools covers the broader landscape of AI assistants in software engineering workflows.
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